- ECO code
- E11
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+
- Family
- Bogo-Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 704
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1920–2026
Bogo-Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code E11, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+. It belongs to the Bogo-Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 704 games on this line — the 159th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1920 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 219 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 42% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 7 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Bd2, played in 380 games, followed by 4.Nbd2 (301) and 4.Nc3 (23). After 4.Bd2 White scores 27% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Giri,A (28 games); on the Black side, Kortschnoj, Viktor (41).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Bogo-Indian Defense: Grünfeld Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 34% (238)
- Draws 42% (298)
- Black 24% (168)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Bd2 | 380 | 27/47/26 | — |
| 4.Nbd2 | 301 | 43/35/22 | Bogo-Indian Defense: Grünfeld Variation |
| 4.Nc3 | 23 | 26/52/22 | — |
Variations from this position
- Grünfeld Variation · 4.Nbd2 · 301 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 · 7,325 games
Played most often by
As White
- Giri,A 28
- Karpov, Anatoly 22
- Grischuk,A 20
As Black
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 41
- Carlsen,M 32
- Smyslov, Vassily 32
Games per decade
- 1920s 8
- 1930s 11
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 6
- 1960s 31
- 1970s 20
- 1980s 94
- 1990s 89
- 2000s 92
- 2010s 130
- 2020s 219
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firouzja,Alireza | Praggnanandhaa,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Carlsen,M | Tabatabaei,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Mitrabha,G | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Makarian,Rudik | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bogo-Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code E11, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+. It belongs to the Bogo-Indian Defense family.
Is the Bogo-Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 704 master games on this line White wins 34%, 42% are drawn and Black wins 24%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Bogo-Indian Defense?
4.Bd2 — played in 380 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Bogo-Indian Defense?
On the White side Giri,A (28), Karpov, Anatoly (22), Grischuk,A (20); on the Black side Kortschnoj, Viktor (41), Carlsen,M (32), Smyslov, Vassily (32).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.